Bolivia's president, Rodrigo Paz, declared a state of emergency early on Saturday, after over six weeks of road blockades and protests demanding his resignation.
"This is not a state of emergency to restrict people's lives," Paz said in a televised speech. "It is a state of emergency to give freedom back to the people, to free Bolivia from those who use political conflict to block roads and harm the population," he added.
Paz, who called the situation an organized attempt to destabilize democracy, said the decision to declare a state of emergency was made "after exhausting all avenues of dialogue."
The declaration comes hours after Paz announced on Friday that he had reached a deal with the country's main trade union, the Bolivian Workers' Confederation (COB).
Bolivia's blockade crisis
